Cravings Wine Bar & Grille
755 Bielenberg Dr,Ste108, Woodbury, MN, 55125
Cravings Wine Bar & Grille Menu
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Small Plates & Flatbreads
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Soups & Salads
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Chefs Selection
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House Cut Steaks
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Entrees
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Homemade Pastas
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Burgers
Healthy Meal suggestions for Cravings Wine Bar & Grille
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Small Plates & Flatbreads
-
Soups & Salads
-
Chefs Selection
-
House Cut Steaks
-
Entrees
-
Homemade Pastas
-
Burgers
Visit below restaurant in Woodbury for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Woodbury for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
755 Bielenberg Dr,Ste108
Woodbury, MN, 55125 - Phone (651) 528-6828
- Website https://www.cravingswinebar.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner, Dessert
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Music : Background
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Wed, Thu, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Lorraine N.
Swung in here on a Saturday afternoon for lunch around noon. One person working---we were about the third table to be seated and the tables are on top of each other---i'm sure for her convenience she plopped us right beside everybody else. I do not understand this when you have an entire empty restaurant. I should have just sat at the bar. It really is the nicest seating in the entire place. It was nothing but ladies for the first hour we were there--yes I said an hour because service was hurting, my husband was quick to notice he was the only dude in the place. This is not a sports bar! hahahahaha We ordered soup, salad, and a bread basket---the soups were very very thin---I guess they are really stretching that dollar by making them like water---I felt like I was in a third world country being given my ration for the day. The salad was acceptable but nothing to dance up and down about. Bread was average. The prices are outrageous for what this place offers. I do not plan on going back.
(2)Brad A.
We went to Cravings at the recommendation of my beautiful companion for our second date. It was her side of town, and I didn't want to take a risk with a "random" choice, even with Yelp backing me up. I'll say right off the bat that I think this is a great place for a date - classy and intimate. As well as for happy hour or an after-work meet-up spot, apparently - we got there at 6:30 on a Wednesday night, and the place was absolutely jammed. I had made a reservation, fortunately, and we were seated immediately. We had a great waitress and the service was cheerful and attentive. Usually, it was us keeping her waiting, because we were busy chatting. She checked in frequently, though. We got things started with an excellent bottle of pinot noir. Neither of us were particularly hungry, so we ordered a small salad and a couple of appetizers to share. Everything was made from fresh, good-quality ingredients, and was well-prepared and beautifully presented. We enjoyed every bite. A number of reviewers have observed that this place is not cheap, and they're right. I'm not really sure why it would be, though. Cravings is a little more upscale - the restaurant, the food, the clientele. People were pretty nicely dressed for the most part, which added to the ambiance, and it's nice to be able to go to a place where everyone isn't in sweatshirts and jeans. If you're looking for cheap and totally casual, there is no shortage of other choices. Judging by the volume of people there on a weeknight, I'd say their formula is working for them. And I look forward to coming back.
(4)Kristine O.
I think this is a really cute place but overpriced. I ordered the sausage and Fennel flatbread. Very good. My grandma and mom got the Walleye sandwhich which they both said was really good. So pretty much the food is good but is it worth $15 walleye sandwich as lunch time. I don't think so.
(3)Sue S.
We, like another reviewer, had first stopped at the Tavern, but they were swamped. We had never eaten at Cravings Wine Bar & Grille, but gave it a shot anyway. They were busy, but there wasn't any waiting. The staff was friendly and attentive. We ordered the sausage pizza and drinks. The pizza was great! We live no where near here, but we'd definitely be back. There were many more items on the menu that looked very appealing and would like to try.
(4)Al W.
Cravings continues to set the bar high in Woodbury. The menu is always cutting edge and Rick and Nick run an excellent kitchen. Alyssa is not only the best bartender in the cities, but quite frankly she deserves national recognition. She is the keystone of the Cravings team! Great food, even better people.
(5)Tom J.
My wife and I were searching for an owner operated restaurant amongst the sea of chain restaurants in Woodbury when yelp came to the rescue. We made it before the dinner rush and we were seated right away. As this is a wine bar, we explained to the server what our preferences were and she obliged us with a wonderful Sangiovese. Our server was very friendly and after some prodding we learned she was the owners daughter. She explained the difficulty in meeting the Burbs expectations for consistancy and expediency when they make all their food to order. The food was good and the service was outstanding.
(4)Emily O.
My 2 girlfriends & I visited Cravings on a Tuesday evening around 6pm after a long day at work. We were greeted promptly & decided to have some apps while venting about work :) The ambiance was perfect for a ladies' night out. Classy, comfortable, & small. The service we received was perfect, not too slow & not too fast. Made for a relaxing evening; just what we needed. We tried the Margherita flatbread, the Chicken flatbread, & the house salad. The Margherita flatbread is amazing: tomatoes, Parmesan, & crispy flatbread makes for the perfect combo. The Chicken flatbread had black beans & corn & was also wonderful. The salad was fresh & dressed to perfection. We didn't try the wine, but the food & service were both great. We will definetly visit again to check out the enticing wine list :)
(4)Pueblo Y.
If you're into wines then This spot is great. Other than that you get sub-par customer treatment and mediocre food quality. The best thing I believe to be on their menu are the desserts. Turtle cake was good.
(3)Erin G.
Cravings is a great place for gluten free options! There is a Tomato Gorgonzola soup that is sometimes served that is delicious! I normally do not like tomato soup and it is great! Because I need to eat gluten free I do especially enjoy the treat of their gluten free flatbreads (Smoked Potato was great!) and burgers (love the Gorgonzola burger). On their current menu I also really enjoyed the White Wine Steamed Mussels.
(5)aaron a.
The last 12 times I have been here, the food has been outstanding. Things have really changed, the chefs here are really producing fantastic, high quality dishes. I'm not sure why this place has been dinged so hard. It is not deserved. As a regular here once a week as well as several wine dinners, this restaurant has become a true favorite along with Meritage and I Nonni. It's not quite the same level as they are, but darn close lately. Let's start with the Pan Seared Barramundi. Crisp skin, wonderful texture to the fish, seasoned perfectly over leaks, white bean puree, tomato and bacon. It's far better than you can imagine. Every day has a special and I was blown away by the pork and hominy soup. Who would have thought a soup like this was going to be my favorite dish all week? Excellent. And their house made fresh pasta? How many places are you going to that are serving out of a bag? This place doesn't. They take the time to make some fantastic pasta every day. Get the salmon if it's on the menu. And even though I never order the burger, my wife does, and I've tasted it. It's a high quality beef seasoned perfectly and cooked to order. It's delicious. I can't get past the perfect fish and pasta to order beef, so that is my loss. Though it isn't really, I'm so happy every time I can't wait to come back! In summary, this place has a new start with an amazing kitchen. And that's not all, the staff is excellent. I've even noticed things have improved 100% in the speed of delivery, which seemed to be a common issue people had in the past. I haven't seen that in months. So I've upped my rating 1 star from 3 to 4. It's a favorite.
(4)Greg S.
Good service. Good food. We enjoyed ourselves. Gluten-free menu was the most comprehensive I have ever seen.
(4)Johnee B.
First time in. Got take out. Portabella Avocado white cheese toasted sandwich. Really good. Service friendly. GREAT Atmosphere, nice lighting. Good wine selection too (somewhat of an expert) Will go again for dinner. Stay tuned...
(3)Jeff C.
I went to Cravings for lunch yesterday, and I had one of their new specials, a Lobster Raviolo. I learned that Raviolo is singular for Ravioli, an indication that you get a single stuffed noodle. Not to worry - this was a BIG stuffed noodle, with LOADS of rich, succulent lobster claw and tail meat, Gruyere cheese, and various other goodies. The noodle is served in an incredible, house-made lobster bisque drizzled with oregano oil. The presentation is very nice, but what seals the deal is the incredible melange of flavors. This is truly one of the best dishes I have supped on in a long time. One tip: if you order this dish, order a bread basket on the side so that you can soak up all of that lovely lobster bisque. Kudos to Cravings for a lunch very well done!
(5)Joline E.
My fiancé and I stopped at Cravings when the Tavern across the street was far too crowded and we had exactly 30 minutes for a drink and appetizer before needing to be somewhere. For what we needed I give the overall experience 4.5 stars and the food 4.5 but the prices are a little high so I'm settling on a 4. Our server was awesome, didn't mind our rush, and cooly brought our food and tab at once. The Sauvignon Blanc from Chile that I drank was chilly and refreshing on a hot day and the crab cake appetizer we shared was quite good. We had asked how many cakes came in the order and decided to try it despite it being described as "one large" cake. It came out about the size of a bar coaster, maybe a tad bigger, and for $15 seemed a little disappointing. The outside was nicely browned and crispy, while the inside was rich and creamy. I couldn't tell for sure how high quality the crab was but the flavor was pretty good. I liked the slices of marinated English cucumber on top and loved the tomato curry sauce it was served with.
(4)Jay G.
I'm surprised at the number of bad experiences here as reviewed on Yelp. We had a great waitress who had excellent menu knowledge. We were greeted warmly by both the owner and the hostess. Drinks were good, but spendy! 2 double Vodkas and a Manhattan were $42!! Double Yikes. But that's the only complaint. We had a good crab cake and seared scallops- both perfectly prepared. Entrees were Arctic Char Caesar Salad and Roasted Sablefish. Each dish was a 10/10. If you haven't had sablefish, run, don't walk to try it- it's flaky, firm and buttery. We ended dinner with a pecan tart topped with a perfectly balanced dark chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries. All in all a very good meal.
(4)J T.
Good option in Woodbury to change it up. Smaller bistro that has some differnt options of food. Usually have a decent chefs special Last couple times visted the menu was limted by some things not being availiable. Have had some really good dishes here and some average ones.
(3)Lauren S.
I love this place. The staff is amazing and pleasant. Food is locally sourced and organic. Great selection of wine and the drinks are amazing and well made. I have been to many wine bars and have never seen such an array of experienced staff that really knows their wine and cares about it. I really liked the food, it is amazing and delicious. I had the filet and it was cooked amazing with a perfect crisp on the outside and a tender red inside (medium rare). The bread is also delicious with the butter, I order it every time I go. I highly recommend this place!
(5)Katie B.
The wine list here is excellent. They have at least one bottle in the menu that I haven't seen outside the west coast... This place isn't cheap by any means, but it's a fun place to grab a nice bottle of wine with a friend and have a light meal (soups and salads are great). Plus their cakes are divine. If you are looking for cheap apps and 2-1 glasses of random house wine, this isn't your place. But it's worth stopping in if you're willing to drop a little cash--it's worth it on occasion.
(5)Sealu222 2.
I have been to the Woodbury location many times and keep waiting to Yelp about it until I can say something really nice....being a supporter of local businesses and all. But after my last experience I am giving up. I could overlook the hurried "I'm better than you are" service, the chewy Thai chicken flatbread and the heavily seasoned steak salad. I could even overlook and the fact we did not get the chance to order a second round of drinks....which would have helped wash down the cardboard pizza and salt salad. What I can not deal with, however, is that our server saw our DMC card sitting on the end of the table the WHOLE time and did not say one word about the flatbread and salad not qualifying as a "ENTREE" so the buy one get one card wouldn't work. She was so smug as we sputtered our apologies for asking why it hadn't been taken off the bill. Her only redeeming quality was she had cute hair. The restaurant is a nice place, and I think that if the owner or his daughter are working it is a much more pleasant experience at least from a service perspective. What worries me most for them is the food itself needs an overhaul if it is to draw all the Woodbury sheep away from their precious Olive Garden and Red Lobster.
(1)Brian C.
Cravings has nice ambiance, a friendly and knowledgeable wait staff, and the best Short Ribs in town. Pay no attention the the 1 star reviews. Not all Yelpers get how this is supposed to work. Try it. You'll love it!
(5)Denise B.
Like your gluten free options. My husband and I enjoyed the French dip on gf roll. Very good meal and service.
(4)Phillip Y.
We came to Cravings because we had a buy one get one free entrée up to $12 from Metro Dining Club. We found out that we had to get a drink but were pleasantly surprised by the selection. I got their own made ginger ale and my girlfriend had their blue lemonade drink. Then, we had our entrée which was the potato crusted walleye and she had the Italian sausage bow tie pasta. Both dishes were good and our waitress was good to refill our drinks. I was surprised that we were greeted so well even without a reservation. I would highly recommend it for special occasions. Pricewise is more upscale than most restaurants but the quality is very good.
(5)Alicia M.
Cravings is local to me and I keep trying to love it. I have gone there for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and a wine dinner. Sadly, I cannot recommend it. The drinks - wine and cocktails - are excellent. The food is only okay. The service is bad. I would not say not to go there - it is fine. But there are many better local options. I would recommend avoiding the wine dinners. They do not presently have the capacity or expertise to do them at even an acceptable level - at $150 per couple and a mandatory 18% gratuity, you can get much better dinners.
(2)Melissa K.
This is one of my favorite places to go grab a glass of wine at the bar. The place is adorable. Very cozy and quaint and I've always enjoyed chatting it up with the folks at the bar - very friendly and knowledgable. Get there early if you want to sit at the bar - it is very small (but that makes the experience even more personable). Unfortunately, I've found the food to be inconsistent. I ordered a salad a while back that was really overdressed and by adding ricotta on top of that the consistency tasted like mush (though, it looks like it is no longer on the menu so that's a good sign). I've ordered the Arctic Char twice. The first time was absolutely delicious and the second left something to be desired. It was quite bland to be honest. I've had good luck with the cheese trio, and always pairs nicely while trying new wines. Don't skip dessert. They change them up daily and I've never had a bad one. Their raspberry bread pudding is unreal.
(3)Vicky V.
My whole family came in for dinner tonight and the food just suck.. Everyone's food was either too salty too cooked or no favors..
(1)Kimberly P.
With a changing seasonal menu and daily specials, the food at Cravings is delicious! The staff is phenomenal! Owner Greg and daughter Alyssa entertain patrons with their fun banter with each other.
(5)Gary P.
Great wine selection but a limited menu. Bad acoustics made it a very noisy spot for not many people.
(3)Mike M.
How great is this place! Forget that the wine is perfect, the food is outstanding, the atmosphere is excellent, the service and friendliness of EVERYONE is unbelievable! We stopped in for a quick glass of wine on a Friday night and oh, what a great experience I was. Rick was as welcoming as any owner I have ever met. Each team member of his talked with us, joked with us and created an experience that left its positive mark. Our food was excellent, Seared Ahi Tuna off the charts! Although, the very best part of the evening, when leaving everyone thanked us for stopping and invited us back. Outside, Alyssa was loading her car for a weekend way, as we walked by, she stopped and said, " have a great weekend new friends". I have never been to a restaurant, including my own, that has come remotely close to doing something like that! Thank you Cravings!! You all just taught an old veteran how to be better. Nice job, you rock!!
(5)Dave O.
We tried Cravings for the first time Wednesday. We were meeting another couple and we didn't all arrive at the same time, but we were greeted and sat quickly and in friendly manner. Our server was pleasant and not pushy even though we ended up having a long dinner. The drink and wine menu were superb with lots of martinis and wines to choose from. Dinner was good but the pasta with sausage was a little bland but not offensive in any way. The bread and ceasar salad were great. They had a large assortment if fresh desserts but unfortunately we didn't leave room! Would definitely return next time I am in Woodbury.
(4)Ej F.
On the way to Wisconsin from MSP about a week ago, my co-worker and I wanted to get some dinner. We originally went to the sushi place near here but it doesn't take American Express (my corporate credit card). So walked around this strip mall in the cold and stumbled upon Cravings. What a find in Woodbury! Pleasantly surprised by the options on the menu and the quality of food here... made me feel like I was still in L.A. Not a big restaurant so it provides a nice, intimate feel. There's a small bar area, fireplace, and nice decor. Decent place for a dinner date. Unlike some of the reviews, I had good experience with service and the wait staff. We ordered the scallops and charcuterie board for appetizers. There were 3 scallops (kinda small) but they were cooked perfectly and it went well with the roasted cauliflower and puree. The cured meats on the carcuterie were sliced a bit thicker than I like, but the pickles and whole grain mustard were a nice addition. For my main course: the crispy duck with parsnip puree, roasted brussel sprouts, and cherry glaze. One of the best duck dishes I ever ate... I enjoyed every bite. My friend had the walleye and it looked really good; he was a happy diner. So full we both passed on any dessert.
(4)Guy C.
Nice little place with excellent food. Filet Mignon was fantastic. Locally owned by a father and daughter and it's been around for a while. Pretty extensive wine list with great recommendations.
(4)Susan G.
Yum! Delicious meal from the beet salad on special to the salted Carmel chocolate cake. I had the short ribs that were melt in your mouth delicious and my husband had the walleye that he raved about!
(4)Daniel U.
My wife and I received a gift certificate for Cravings but we felt some trepidation because of the highly mixed reviews. Four tables were occupied inside and a couple more on the patio. There was only one waitress, which we spotted as one of the areas of complaint from other reviews. It wasn't a problem on our visit. We were promptly seated, our orders were taken without delay and the food arrived quickly. I had the walleye sandwich and loved it. My wife enjoyed her meal but I can't remember what she had. There is one other point that made our visit a pleasure. My wife and I are a racially mixed couple. We have gotten to the point where we expect the hostess to try to stash us in the back of the restaurant, next to the kitchen door or by the bathrooms. Just on account of taking us straight to a window table with a nice view we will return again.
(4)Cathy L.
Horrible experience!! We tried this restaurant a 2nd time to give it another chance but we were more disappointed with the entire experience than the first time we went. Overpriced. Jammed in like cattle. $18 burger which was served cold. $24 walleye filet fit in the palm of your hand. Rubbing elbows with complete strangers/other diners because the owner thinks packing them in like sardines is trendy. Wine list ok but overpriced as well. Serving portions were very small. Rude owner and wait staff. Restaurant is too small for the number of tables. Felt like a safety hazard.
(1)Justin R.
Great service, love the atmosphere. Here is why three stars. They have a somewhat small restaurant and they try awfully hard to be a foodie haven. They simply don't have a kitchen skillset that can put out that type of experience, and portions to price just aren't realistic. I have had okay food almost every time, I had a ravioli dish that just had the most odd cheese pairing and they stated that the have a small kitchen "recycle" the cheese from a previous night's special. I wouldn't tell a customer that.
(3)Numbers D.
Service is always friendly albeit a bit slow. I think it is a bit overpriced in my opinion. I have not been disappointed in the flavor of their food, however. The white chicken lasagna is good as well as the duck.
(3)Christophe V.
The service was kind of slow but not crazy bad but getting on the borderline of being bad. The food was blend, not well seasoned. Had the duck confit pasta and the duck was not very good, some part were dried (feels more like over baked duck legs rather then duck confit). The smoke salmon rillette was not very enjoyable, it was"sticky" and not very refreshing. For the morning you are spending there, I think that the food should be on a higher level.
(3)Emily V.
I would probably give the place a 3.5, but a 4 seemed to high. Tried this place for the first time recently. Went with someone else to loves this place, probably partially because it is close to her house and also because her husband is a big wine lover. Their wine list is extensive, for sure. I ordered the White Chicken Lasagna. While it was good, I did not think the balsamic reduction that was added to the 'bed' of marinara it was served on did much to help the dish. It actually made it a little too sweet for my taste. I did ask if it was made in house, because some of the comments on here seemed to imply (or outright state) otherwise, and in truth, it's made in their other White Bear location and brought over. So I really wouldn't say that that is a problem for me, I guess. It's still from scratch and brought over fresh daily, they said. Seems appropriate. Anyways...it was good, but I probably would try something else next time. I also had a ceasar salad on the side, which was good, but nothing that I'll remember as being any different from the other ceasar salads I've had in my life. My 'date' had the sausage flatbread. It was OK, but holy garlic! She actually loves garlic (being Italian), but said it was even overpowering for her. She didn't want the second half of it and asked me if I wanted it. I took it home, put it in a snap-closed container right when I got home, and my entire second floor STILL smelled like garlic the the next morning when I was getting ready for work. THAT is a lot of garlic. Just sayin'. I also ordered an almond bar and a piece of the salted caramel chocolate cake to go. The salt flavor was VERY prominent in the cake, and the chocolate flavor was not. Maybe have been over powered by the salt and the caramel? The almond bar was awesome, but I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been wrapped in paper so tight that it pulled off all of the frosting before I got home. The food was good, but over all nothing to hurry back for. The service was good, if a little...frantic? Our waitress was friendly and attentive, but seemed like she maybe had too many tables assigned or something. She did get some help by another woman who was a little less than friendly (she was the one who brought out our entrees, offered cracked pepper, and brought our to-go boxes). The happy hour special of $4 wine pours was a nice touch, however, the pours did seem a bit smaller than I was used to. It was worth $4, but if I were charged $8 for that pour of that particular wine I ordered, I would have been pretty unhappy about it. All in all, I'll probably go back. I think maybe for lunch next time I'm over in that area. It was small and a little noisy, so maybe a nice place for date night with the husband wouldn't be what I would return for.
(3)Zach I.
Do not go here. The server was nice, but likely overworked--we frequently went tens of minutes without a check in. Drinks went unfilled and dishes went uncleared. The food was cooked improperly. My steak and cheese salad had trace amounts of cheese. The cheese plate was missing an entire type of cheese, and the portion of what we got was laughable (literally two 2x2" pieces). To top it off, the prices are way too high. Avoid.
(2)Matt M.
My experiences at Cravings have been pretty average... But there are some things I like. Although their food is only okay their desserts are REALLY good. Chocolate cake with salted caramel and buttercream frosting was delicious- moist cake, the caramel flavor wasn't overpowering, and it was sized generously for the price. The carrot cake was also super moist, filled with raisins and walnuts and carrots (oh my) and the frosting was delicious. The service here is hit or miss. I've had really good service, but this last time the server was a little strange, but also super helpful. We were feeling champagne after seeing The Great Gatsby (if you've seen the party scenes you will feel the same) and she instantly recommended the prosecco for the cakes we had ordered. I know next to nothing about wine, but it did pair nicely. They have a decent patio... But unfortunately it is overlooking a construction site. Beautiful and scenic Woodbury. Skip the meal, head here later in the night for a quick dessert and glass of wine.
(3)tori b.
I ordered the ribeye & my husband ordered the fish special. Both were delicious! My ribeye was cooked perfectly & his fish was flakey & not dry We finished off our meal with a dessert each u ordered the raspberry chocolate gluten free cake with a cup of decaf. He ordered the hot fudge cheesecake slice. But were equally good, but, the cup of coffee was bigger than most bowls of soup I've had! It had great flavor, too I would recommend this place as a great date night, or even a fun girls night out
(4)Steve A.
My wife and I had a really nice meal here on Friday night. The first nice thing was that we could make a reservation since we couldn't make it there until about 6:30 PM. We got seated right away which is really nice at this time on a Friday night. This was our third time dining at Cravings and I've always been impressed with the extremely friendly and helpful wait staff. Our waitress was wonderful! We always seem to need a little extra service because my wife is gluten free and there's usually plenty of questions during the ordering process. Our waitress patiently answered all our questions and offered great suggestions on food options. I had the chicken lasagna which was delicious. It really was one of the best lasagnas I've had in a long time. My wife had the GF version of the oxtail pasta. She said the meat was also delicious and she always enjoys finding GF pasta. We both really enjoyed our meals! Cravings is a fairly small/intimate restaurant so seating is limited. There's also a bar but seating is pretty limited there as well. I recommend making a reservation for weekend dining. Tip: ask them to NOT seat you in the small room just to the left of the entrance door. We sat there once and it was cold (winter time) and it felt like we were in a different restaurant. Almost like sitting at the kids table at the Holiday dinners! Not sure why they even use this space... They also have a patio which I'm sure would be nice in the summer and expand their dining area. Cravings is a wine bar and they did have a nice wine list. I generally have a beer and they did have a nice selection including craft and imported beers. However, it was all bottled beer with no tap beer available. My wife is not into beer, wine or rail drinks. She like what she calls the fancy "drinky drinks". They have a nice list of these as well which she enjoys. :-)
(4)Phyllis L.
We had dinner at Crave Wine Bar on a Tuesday evening. We thought everything was very delicious. I had the seared salmon with brussels sprout and butternut squash. It was done perfectly. My husband had the crab cake appetizer and really enjoyed it as well. The cocktails are a bit on the expensive side but top quality brands. The wine choices are very good.They make all their own desserts and they are "to die for ". Our service was also exceptional. My only con would be it is a small place and sometime quite noisy as the tables are close together.
(4)Cortney G.
I've been wanting to check out Cravings ever since I drove past one day - it just looked so chic and cozy from the outside. After multiple attempts to stop in for vino and conversation with my man, they were FINALLY actually open this past Saturday night. We walked into many open tables, but for some reason got seated in a side room reminiscent of the Davanni's kiddie birthday party room. No ambiance, no music and away from the rest of the entire restaurant. Left such a bad taste in my mouth that I couldn't even stay for a glass of wine.
(1)Matt D.
My wife and I stopped in on a Friday night at 5:50 (trust me, it's important). We did not have a reservation but were lucky to be seated at the bar. No one checked on us for 10 minutes or so. When one of the bartenders finally asked if we had been helped we asked about happy hour. She replied that happy hour was from 3 to 6 and that their outrageously priced wine was actually only $4 a glass (house wine) during happy hour. My wife said that we had been there for 10 minutes but no one had helped us and was met with deafening silence. Then the bartender walked away without taking a drink order. Finally, another 5 minutes later the other bartender asked if we wanted anything to drink. Since their least expensive wine was priced the same per glass as we pay per bottle we decided on water only. We ordered two appetizers, a scallop dish and a flatbread pizza. The scallop dish came with three of the smallest scallops I've ever seen for $13. It tasted okay at best. The margherita pizza was worse, so heavy on the garlic that it was hard to eat. The one redeeming thing that happened was that we noticed a nice display case of desserts right when you walk in. We got a take-home piece of salted caramel chocolate cake. In the comfort of our own home, drinking our reasonably priced wine the cake was fantastic. Cravings earned their one star with a good dessert. Considering the service was lousy and the prices are sky high I guess that's something.
(1)Tammy D.
Great Woodbury restaurant. Food is consistently amazing each time I visit. The staff and service are wonderful. As noted in other reviews, save room f
(5)Kevin B.
Stopped in here on a whim on the way home, having Yelp'd for something along our route. Didn't really get a look at the menu for food, but the wine menu was decent enough with a nice selection. Only giving a 4 here, but we'll chalk that up to 'need more information'. Perhaps after a meal here, I can revisit. As a pure stop-off for wine, it fit the bill nicely.
(4)Erin D.
This place is okay for a wine bar in a shopping center in the suburbs. The interior is very small. Last time I went I got a salad, which was good and quite large/filling. The first time I went I got an entree, and I thought the portion size was small for the price. The wine list is extensive. I would go back for dinner if someone else suggested it, but it wouldn't be my first choice.
(3)Rob S.
Stopped in for a few apps before a movie last night. Had their spreads trio (Boursin cheese, olive tapenade and a red pepper spread) with toasted pita, the crab cakes and a cup of wild rice soup. The best thing I had was the three spreads - especially liked the Boursin and the red pepper. The crab cake was excellent but after a few pieces was enough. My wife had the salad with the steak (which she said was awesome but a little too much blue cheese (or Gorgonzola whatever they used... very good but too much). All in all a fantastic night.
(4)Kate A.
I have been here 3 times and walked away one happy full camper each time. Amazing sweets and wine. They have upgraded to Hereford beef and the filet on the last visit was up there with one if the best I have had. A must visit location
(4)Jennifer L.
We met some good friends here last night for dinner. Having only been here during a weekday afternoon for lunch I wasn't prepared for Cravings on a Friday night. When we asked for a table for 4 we were asked if we had reservations. Really? It never occurred to me that we would have to make reservations here. We got lucky that there was a cancellation and were able to snag that table. The waiter billed it as "The best table in the house!" So apparently the best table in the house has two people wedged against the glass of the entryway and two people sitting in the aisle of the entryway. Hu. I told my hubby later that if we hadn't been meeting friends here I would have told them no thanks and left at this point. The wine is expensive here. I had a glass of Pinot (They only had one option on the menu for a Pinot Grigio) that I thought it was a little acidic in flavor - and the amount in my glass is about the equivalent of three shot glasses. So for $8.00 you can have three shots of wine with your dinner. (I know - I am classic in saying it wasn't good and there wasn't enough!) We shared an appetizer of Brie. I thought the cheese was a little delicate in flavor but they had a lovely cranberry sauce with orange peal shavings on it that really made it spectacular. Sadly it took a long time to actually get the brie. To our waiters credit - he did come out and apologize about the wait. (Did they forget we ordered the brie? Why would it take so long to get a hunk of warm cheese with crackers?) The last time we came here my hubby had The Classic Burger - so that is exactly what I ordered this time. The bite I had of his last time was so good how could I resist? I ordered the classic with cheddar prepared Medium. What I got was a dry burger on a dry bun cooked Medium well/well. There was barely a hint of pinkness in the middle of the burger. (I had to hold the burger up to the light to see if I could find any pink shading - and their was a hint of pinkness in the brown/gray meat.) And the bun was burnt on the inside to the point I was peeling chunks of the bun away so I didn't get the carcinogen flavor in my burger. It was not a good burger. And it was $11.00 for this not good burger. The other thing was that we asked for separate bills and our waiter forgot and put them all together. It wasn't a huge deal - we just split it down the center and that worked out fine - but it would have been nice if he had remembered. And if he would have remembered about it before he saw two credit cards in the bill folder. I have to say I am really disappointed in my experience here this time. I was really looking forward to dinner here and getting what I thought would be one of the best burgers in a long time. Sadly what we got was mediocre burgers and overpriced wine with a lot of waiting and an uncomfortable table. Honestly I don't know if I will go back after last nights experience. That kills me because it was a 5 star experience for us last time we came here. It was just too expensive for that poor of an experience this time to justify giving them another shot.
(2)Suze S.
Generally, I ABHOR places that sell wine by the 1/2 glass... I mean, really? Wine prices are generally already fairly outrageous... But I digress. This was just my way of saying that I usually try to avoid places that try way too hard to be elite. I was pleasantly surprised by the food and the atmosphere. The service was adequate. It was crowded, for a Tuesday evening in Woodbury anyways. We were seated right away. Since The Man is cheap and I had popped a Vicodin for some killer back pain, we stuck with water. The wine list was extensive, they had a great bar selection and some really scrummy sounding house cocktails. Prices were on the high side- and as mentioned, they offered 1/2 glass prices in addition to full glass and bottle prices. (and we all know that a full glass at a restaurant is about half of what we'd pour ourselves at home anyhow...) We ordered a Trio appetizer, flat bread with olive tapenade, tomato jelly, and Boursin cheese. De-freaking- licious and I'm not usually a flatbread kind of gal. It was soft and chewy and warm. The olive business was ok, the Boursin was good and the jelly was really tasty. The Man, who usually hides under the table when confronted with any type of vegetable actually had 2 pieces! The Man ordered the Chicken a la Mattone. I ordered the chef's selection of Maple Glazed Pork Belly. Chatty Cathy ordered the cream of cauliflower soup and a field greens salad. She's apparently been talking to her trainer at Curves again. The Man's Chicken was really good- tender, flavorful, nice sear on the outside. The sauce and veggies were good, and the basmati rice was good. The whole thing was just good- nothing really outstanding, but that's what he deserves for ordering chicken and rice at a restaurant. Chatty Cathy said her soup was good. Her salad looked good, and it was really large. I didn't taste any of it. I was too busy pigging out on pork. That Pork was the best damn thing I've eaten in weeks. Tender but enough texture to chew. Flavorful, but not tasting like a Jimmy Dean Sausage. (Which has mostly been my experience with other, less fortunate little pork bellies.) The Maple was plenty sweet, but tempered nicely with the Jalepeno Polenta, which was not at all spicy, but served as a good way to soak up all the sweetness in my mouth after every few bites of pork. Carrot cake for desert, since my life's motto is "Never Say No to Dessert." I was actually salivating over the Turtle Cake...but Chatty insisted that the Carrot Cake was actually healthy and counted as a serving of vegetables. BS, but whatever. It was just so-so for me. I love the flavor of carrot cake, but I hate when people mess with the texture by putting in all sorts of crap that doesn't belong in cake batter- like nuts, raisins, coconut. And this piece had all 3. Damn. The flavor was excellent though and the cream cheese frosting was super thick and really smooth. The restaurant itself was a bit too dark for my tastes, but I like to see what I'm eating. The noise level was acceptable, the heat level was not though. Both Chatty and I were wearing our jackets by the end of the meal. The service was slow to the point of being borderline ridiculous. She was great about filling our water glasses, which, to be fair, we were emptying at a pace more commonly seen in male cousins at a wedding with an open bar. Our entrees took way over 40 minutes to get out to us after she took the order. Thank heavens we had ordered the appetizer! Price for appetizer, 2 cups of soup, 1 salad, chicken, pork and a piece of carrot cake was just under $60. I shudder to think of what it might have been if I had given in and ordered a couple of those cocktails. Will I go again? Maybe for lunch, when the prices are a little better, and hopefully the service is a little quicker. Maybe I'd take my mom there- It's the kind of place that seems more impressive than it really is- and she's the kind of person who really likes places like that. I would definitely go just to meet a friend for some coffee and dessert. I probably wouldn't go just by myself and The Man again.
(3)Matt R.
This review is for the 'wine bar' aspect of Cravings. My wife and I used to frequent a cozy little wine bar in Colorado before moving here, and were looking to recreate the experience -- warm and friendly atmosphere, quiet buzz of customers, and of course, good wine and appetizers. Cravings managed to meet us half way. The service was good even though we came 1/2 hour before closing. The wine they suggested was perfect for us. The appetizer we got was quite tasty (margherita flatbread). The cost, while high for anywhere else, was in line with what we've paid elsewhere. The place was empty (perhaps because it was 8:30 on a Sunday?), and it had the distinct feel of a family-diner-turned-wine-bar with the dessert display cabinet right when you walk in. It wasn't cozy so much as it looked cozy... kind of like being in a park in summer vs looking at a picture of a park in summer. Overall, I'd guessing there is better out there, but this place isn't bad.
(3)Bonnie H.
My husband and I stopped here after Yoga in a desperate search to find an non-chain restaurant in Woodbury. We risked the 'poor' reviews in favor of supporting our local business owners. This was a WIN! Our server recommended a bottle of Sangiovese which was truly wonderful. We noshed on some apps, which were all good - the salad was exceptionally large and tasty! The service was pleasant and attentive (actually she was fabulous). We weren't going to have dessert but got tempted into the Turtle Cake (I'm a big fan of Cafe Latte's...) and wow! was it yummy! Moist, chocolately, carmel goodness. All of the food is made from scratch - pastas, burgers, desserts... no Sysco here. I highly recommend checking it out, you're in for a treat from the concrete jungle that is Woodbury.
(4)Mary S.
We had bought a LivingSocial deal which was for 50 dollars toward food/drink. We figure we've never been here before and it would be a good date night experience. We absolutely loved it. It's small so make sure you make reservations. We had the Amalaya wine which was a Red Blend and I had the meatloaf, my husband the Rib Eye. The meatloaf was fabulous. The cranberry sauce glaze that came on top was delicious and was a great complement to the meal. The Rib eye was also perfectly cooked as we like our Medium Rare and the wine went very well with it. The atmosphere is warm and sweet such that although a small place, we never felt cramped and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. We will definitely return to this place again!
(5)Alison T.
I have been back to Cravings several times for their sinful desserts. The creamy Almond Bars are to die for. Other faves include the carrot cake and chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Can't wait to try the Malted Milk Ball cheesecake! Cravings desserts are prepared fresh daily and are reasonably priced. If you're looking for a place to satisfy your sweet tooth, look no further.
(4)Pat W.
If you love a dose of snobbishness with your food, this is the place for you. My husband and I wanted to eat very early, before 4. We walked into an almost empty restaurant, where we were told they couldn't seat us in the back in the good seats because they were expecting people at 6:30. We assured them we could eat a meal in less than 2 1/2 hours and they went into a tizzy, throwing menus around, feeling very put out about accommodating us. I ordered a lamb burger and my husband a hamburger, which took 30 minutes to prepare. Waitress did not ask how we wanted them cooked and offered no salad dressing choices. After we received our food, she did not come back to inquire how things were, did not bring my husband his requested ketchup, and he found a bug in his salad. I pointed this out to the manager. He apologized and said these things happen. He did offer to replace the salad. My lamb burger was tasty, but overcooked and dried out, as they 'have' to cook it to medium well, the only place I have eaten lamb that ever said that. To their credit they offered a free dessert in exchange for the bug. Food was OK, but not good enough to warrant going back not for us anyway.
(2)J B.
This is a tough one. I want to start by saying that the food at this place is simply amazing. Everything I have ever had there is just wonderful. Their duck dishes are my favorite. Their scallops are like butter. And the martinis are delicious, especially the chocolate ones! Now the bad. They do give you a disclaimer that since each dish is made to order it may take a while, especially if they are busy. However, things that take no prep time were taking 10-15 minutes to arrive. Each drink order took 10 minutes to get to us (we had a party of 7), and one time they completely forgot my glass of wine. They brought out a bottle of champagne but nothing to keep it cold. However, the table next to us got a champagne bucket. We were also seated in this really strange and segregated room off to the left of the pastry case, and it felt like we were sitting in a coat room. Also, we had to buy bread for the table. The bread costs $3 per basket and you get... 3 slices of bread per basket. $1 per slice? Really? I think this might be better if they were in a larger space and had more staff. Also, if their staff would smile and act friendly, that would help as well. Not everyone is like that there, but the majority of the staff would look at me while I spoke, and then turn around and walk away and I had no idea if I was actually heard or not. And the no-smiling thing is a real turn-off. This place could be so much more inviting to more people. Maybe they are striving for the small and exclusive vibe?
(2)R P.
Nice location in a upscale shopping mall. The decor inside is very nice and looks like a wine bar (compared to the few I've checked out) Was seated right away and the staff was very attentive. Tried a sampler with the little lamb chops - have to say they were REAL good! The wine list by the glass was kind small for the reds. Not a lot of California wines like I'm used to seeing. Overall pleasant experience and if I'm in the area I wouldn't hesitate to try it again.
(3)Dima M.
I went there for lunch with coworkers who had been here before, and knowing they are picky, I trusted that it was going to be good. Truth be told, it was not bad. It was a nice change from my usual lunch spots around here. The only problem I have is that it was a really really long lunch, a little over 1.5 hours. It could have easily been a one-hour lunch. But I get it, this is a "fancy" place, so the way to display that is by taking a long time to do things that can be done a lot faster. It wasn't even that busy, and we ordered the sausage platter as an appetizer. It took a good 10 or 15 minutes to get that. It was 3 sausages, cut up into little pieces. Unless they made the sausage when we ordered it, it should have not taken more than 5 minutes. Then the food took a little bit longer, and the most complicated thing we ordered was probably a burger. I just felt that this place was trying a little too hard to be pretentious, though the prices don't say so, which is good. Also, I will have to say that the food was actually good, so I may actually go there again.
(3)Ben K.
There have been major improvements here since the first time I was in a number of months ago. There truly aren't a whole lot of decent places to eat in the area, and being in the area on business, Cravings has become a regular stop. As such, the improvements in the menu and the service in the last six months are quite welcome. The menu is a little strange as there is no real clear theme - is it Italian? Is it American? Is it casual? I don't know. There his a hodge podge of pastas, flatbreads, sandwiches and entrees. On one hand, this is confusing - and always a red flag when a restaurant can't decide what it is and what it is good at. All this being said, the variety tends to please a diverse group. While I haven't tried it, everyone who does really likes the white lasagna, which is a house specialty. The wine list has a good range in both price and style. There is nothing that stands out as a great value or particularly unique on the wine list - it is a bit over priced for many/most of the selections, but not to the point of rip off. Compared to everything else I have found in a 10 mile radius, this is about the best for a nice-ish meal, and possibly the only place within 10 miles that doesn't have TVs on the wall, which is what makes it nice-ish.
(2)Dan E.
Stopped in for a glass of wine at 3:00 in the afternoon. We were very disappointed that the staff was so un-welcoming. We were seated at a very uncomfortable cocktail table while the rest of the restaurant was almost empty. When asked if we could be seated at a regular table, the answer was "NO, THE TABLES ARE FOR DINNER AT 6:00." We cannot recommend this place.
(1)P V.
Great service, lots of servers. Really good food, my boyfriend and I had walleye & porkchop--both very flavorful. Pomengranite martini--delightful! Excellent scallop appetizer. Good desserts, a little pricey, but worth the wonderful evening. Only thing that wasn't great is the wait for the food, very slow. It would have been nice to have some bread to munch on while waiting. Will definitely return.
(4)Jennifer K.
My husband took me here on a surprise date-night...we had a good time. His friend Jim's band was playing, so that was a nice surprise. I guess if I could give it two and a half stars I would, but I'll just bump it up to three. We didn't order food-but got a bottle of Riesling, and ordered the baked brie with an "onion marmalade". Kind of sweet. Wasn't my favorite-but my husband ate it without complaining. Music was good-had a nice buzz-pretty nice evening. Wierd thing was-no napkins. And the brie thing was kind of sticky. It was my birthday, so they brought me a piece of turtle cake. That was really good. The carrot cake looked amazing when we came in, but I guess beggars can't be choosers...The coffee was very good too.I wouldn't go back unless we knew someone playing there I guess...
(3)Harry W.
There aren't many choices around the area. After eating here, there are now even fewer. Over-priced and under-delivered. I ordered a tuna steak, rare. When the dish came out, it looked like a microwave dinner on an over-sized plate. The price? 24$, not including the wine. I had a tuna steak burger across the street for 8.99$ and preferred the tuna burger. If you go, go for the wine. Otherwise, go next door to the wine store, treat yourself to a full bottle and buy a real microwave dinner for the same price.
(1)Nathan L.
This was surprisingly good for Woodbury like some of the other reviews mentioned. After reading the other reviews I was looking forward to coming here and seeing what it was all about. The one thing I was particularly looking for was the service since there were a couple reviews saying it wasn't all that good. We had Alyssa and she was very helpful and very nice in helping us pick entrees, wine and desert. I had the angus burger and it seemed a little dry but I did like the faccocia that it came on. I also really liked the gorgonzola cheese they put on it so overall it was a good burger just a little dry. So I would go back but I would only go if it was on a half priced bottle night because there is something about being in Woodbury that tells me I don't have to spend that kind of money on a bottle of wine in a cafe.
(4)R M.
horrendous food and horrendous service! we were the ONLY people in the restaurant and service was still slow! crab cakes were burned - when we told the server, she simply replied "Oh" and then left our table. maybe could have offered to remake it or try something else? french dip meat was tough and the au jus was pure salt. we like to try different restaurants using the living social coupons - this restaurant was not even worth the paper it was printed on!
(1)Alec G.
Full disclosure; I didn't try the entrees, only the wine and dessert. Don't call yourself a wine bar when you only have 1, or at most 2 selections of a hand full of varietals, and those selections are coming from $10-$15 bottles. This is especially unforgivable when they are located 2 storefronts down from a wine market with a very nice little selection. On top of that, my pinot tasted like it had been sitting open for 3 days. Service was also rotten. I get the feeling that as soon as the server figured out we weren't going to drop the bucks for a full dinner for 4 people, we went right to the bottom of his priority list. We ran out of water very quickly, and basically got refills as we were ready to leave. Skip this place if you are going out for wine. If you are going for dinner, check the other reviews.
(1)Ed N.
Went there tonight for a Valentine's day dinner. It was recommended to me by a friend who raved about the White Chicken Lasagna. We had 7PM reservations and were seated promptly, that was probably the best part of the dinner was no waiting. It was pretty busy in the restaurant but nothing that didn't seem manageable. We had placed our order with the waitress within 5 mins of sittiing, appetizers and the main course. 30 minutes later the waitress came back and informed us they were out of the Chicken Wild Rice Soup (MN staple right?) No apology just we're out... So now we are approximately 35 minutes into the dining experience. 45 minutes later we are getting our appetizers, the waitress did not stop by and say that things are a little slow in the kitchen or even apologize. Another 20 minutes later we are finally getting our main course, so now we are closing in on the two hour mark. At this point the food could be amazing but it doesn't cover up the horrible service. Not once did the waitress check in and ask how things are going, we were afraid to ask for anything like fresh ground pepper or even dessert thinking it could turn into a 3 hour affair. We spoke to someone after to provide feedback and they seemed receptive to it all. She asked us to give them another chance and that we are seeing it at it's worst. I would like to give it another chance but quite honestly I don't know if it is worth the time let alone the money. I would not recommend this to anyone, the service was poor and the food average. Dine at your own risk.
(1)Bethany S.
I was so surprised at the negative reviews I read on Yelp regarding one of the nicer restaurants in Woodbury. We have had nothing but wonderful food, wine and service @ Cravings in Woodbury. In fact, it is now one of our "go-to" places for consistent great tasting food and wine! Whether we plan ahead and request the patio or window seat, or sit @ the bar, we have never been unhappy when we walk out the door! Their specials are the best (I think) and their salads are very good too. The walleye is always done to perfection, and my husband likes their pork dishes. Again, I hope that the negative reviews do not hold you back, because we have always been very pleased with everything at Cravings!
(5)Marie H.
EXTREMELY mediocre. Appetizers were amazing. Everything else, very dissapointng. Mixed drinks were a half glass, main courses average, coffe was great, dessert tasted like mold. Don't do it.
(2)Beth F.
Incredible. Surprising. I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you! Woodbury, MN is THE.LAST.PLACE .ON.EARTH I'd have expected to find food of this caliber. As a rule, the restaurants in this 'burb suck misshapen ballz. They all buy the same food from the same el-cheapo bulk food provider (Sysco, which is basically Wal-Mart for restaurants) and they skimp. They skimp so bad it makes me want to cry when I let myself think about what it costs. And it's for this reason that when we *do* end up eating out near home (as opposed to driving into M or SP), we typically find ourselves at one of the "upscale fast food" joints like Noodles & Co or Chipotle because, hey, at least its cheap and we don't feel swindled. Even still, I've been curious to try this restaurant ever since it opened. After repeatedly being disappointed by the culinary disasters of this unfortunate 'burb I just couldn't help myself. Glutton for punishment? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. Based on Jennifer L's recommendation, hubby and I both ordered burgers. He went for the Angus Burger with the gorgonzola cheese and caramelized onions and I opted for the more simplistic Classic Burger with cheddar. Aaaand...in one word. FABULOUS. So what's up with the 3 stars, you're asking yourself? Service. We totally drew the short end of the stick last night. Outwardly he was friendly and professional but unfortunately did not deliver. 1) Mixed up our orders. Hubby got my mixed green salad on his plate and I got his Caesar on mine. 2) The Caesar salad was DROWNING in dressing. This was actually the one food preparation flaw we noticed. 3) He never offered to refill wine. 4) We sat FOREVER with empty plates and empty drink glasses and the server was nowhere to be seen. 5) Another waiter noticed us waiting and offered to box up the leftovers. 6) One of the other servers noticed us sitting with empties so he refilled our water glasses. None of these things will keep me away. And I have every intent to come back and update my star-rating because I just *know* they have it in them. One final note: wine prices are STEEP. My favorite affordable at-home wine to drink is around $10-$13 a bottle at the liquor store/wine shop. They were charging $10/glass at this restaurant. So I'm making the assumption that to make up for the additional cost of buying fresh ingredients and being organic/environmentally conscious they overcharge on wine to make up for it. But honestly? I think I'm okay with that. If they were overcharging and the food was obviously cheap and tasted bad *coughs in the general direction of Sunsets Woodbury* I'd boycott. I see absolutely no reason not to come back and back and back and back again to this spot. Definitely worthy of 4.5 stars.
(3)Barb S.
My husband and I took a 40 minute drive on December 31st to try this restaurant for a late lunch. Prior to leaving, I reviewed their website to see if they were open for lunch and no indication that they would not be. Most restaurants keep their websites up to date for special occasions/holidays so I didn't call beforehand. Once we arrived, I was told by the hostess that they are not serving food (however, there were diners in the restaurant and the door was open) and her manager just advised her "2 seconds ago" that they couldn't serve anyone. Since it was only seconds prior, I asked if they could consider us since it was just us two and we were not from the area. She called out to the manager, who rudely said - no, we have too much to get ready for the evening and said "no way". I couldn't believe how rude he was considering we were dressed nicely and could have settled on a limited menu that was easy to prepare. I would never patronize a restaurant (this one or any other of their locations) that treated new customers like they shouldn't have even opened the door to step in. Never have I been treated so rudely by a fine dining restaurant and will definitely never recommend this one.
(1)Al W.
Cravings continues to set the bar high in Woodbury. The menu is always cutting edge and Rick and Nick run an excellent kitchen. Alyssa is not only the best bartender in the cities, but quite frankly she deserves national recognition. She is the keystone of the Cravings team! Great food, even better people.
(5)Lorraine N.
Swung in here on a Saturday afternoon for lunch around noon. One person working---we were about the third table to be seated and the tables are on top of each other---i'm sure for her convenience she plopped us right beside everybody else. I do not understand this when you have an entire empty restaurant. I should have just sat at the bar. It really is the nicest seating in the entire place. It was nothing but ladies for the first hour we were there--yes I said an hour because service was hurting, my husband was quick to notice he was the only dude in the place. This is not a sports bar! hahahahaha We ordered soup, salad, and a bread basket---the soups were very very thin---I guess they are really stretching that dollar by making them like water---I felt like I was in a third world country being given my ration for the day. The salad was acceptable but nothing to dance up and down about. Bread was average. The prices are outrageous for what this place offers. I do not plan on going back.
(2)Brad A.
We went to Cravings at the recommendation of my beautiful companion for our second date. It was her side of town, and I didn't want to take a risk with a "random" choice, even with Yelp backing me up. I'll say right off the bat that I think this is a great place for a date - classy and intimate. As well as for happy hour or an after-work meet-up spot, apparently - we got there at 6:30 on a Wednesday night, and the place was absolutely jammed. I had made a reservation, fortunately, and we were seated immediately. We had a great waitress and the service was cheerful and attentive. Usually, it was us keeping her waiting, because we were busy chatting. She checked in frequently, though. We got things started with an excellent bottle of pinot noir. Neither of us were particularly hungry, so we ordered a small salad and a couple of appetizers to share. Everything was made from fresh, good-quality ingredients, and was well-prepared and beautifully presented. We enjoyed every bite. A number of reviewers have observed that this place is not cheap, and they're right. I'm not really sure why it would be, though. Cravings is a little more upscale - the restaurant, the food, the clientele. People were pretty nicely dressed for the most part, which added to the ambiance, and it's nice to be able to go to a place where everyone isn't in sweatshirts and jeans. If you're looking for cheap and totally casual, there is no shortage of other choices. Judging by the volume of people there on a weeknight, I'd say their formula is working for them. And I look forward to coming back.
(4)Kristine O.
I think this is a really cute place but overpriced. I ordered the sausage and Fennel flatbread. Very good. My grandma and mom got the Walleye sandwhich which they both said was really good. So pretty much the food is good but is it worth $15 walleye sandwich as lunch time. I don't think so.
(3)Joline E.
My fiancé and I stopped at Cravings when the Tavern across the street was far too crowded and we had exactly 30 minutes for a drink and appetizer before needing to be somewhere. For what we needed I give the overall experience 4.5 stars and the food 4.5 but the prices are a little high so I'm settling on a 4. Our server was awesome, didn't mind our rush, and cooly brought our food and tab at once. The Sauvignon Blanc from Chile that I drank was chilly and refreshing on a hot day and the crab cake appetizer we shared was quite good. We had asked how many cakes came in the order and decided to try it despite it being described as "one large" cake. It came out about the size of a bar coaster, maybe a tad bigger, and for $15 seemed a little disappointing. The outside was nicely browned and crispy, while the inside was rich and creamy. I couldn't tell for sure how high quality the crab was but the flavor was pretty good. I liked the slices of marinated English cucumber on top and loved the tomato curry sauce it was served with.
(4)Jay G.
I'm surprised at the number of bad experiences here as reviewed on Yelp. We had a great waitress who had excellent menu knowledge. We were greeted warmly by both the owner and the hostess. Drinks were good, but spendy! 2 double Vodkas and a Manhattan were $42!! Double Yikes. But that's the only complaint. We had a good crab cake and seared scallops- both perfectly prepared. Entrees were Arctic Char Caesar Salad and Roasted Sablefish. Each dish was a 10/10. If you haven't had sablefish, run, don't walk to try it- it's flaky, firm and buttery. We ended dinner with a pecan tart topped with a perfectly balanced dark chocolate ganache and fresh raspberries. All in all a very good meal.
(4)J T.
Good option in Woodbury to change it up. Smaller bistro that has some differnt options of food. Usually have a decent chefs special Last couple times visted the menu was limted by some things not being availiable. Have had some really good dishes here and some average ones.
(3)Lauren S.
I love this place. The staff is amazing and pleasant. Food is locally sourced and organic. Great selection of wine and the drinks are amazing and well made. I have been to many wine bars and have never seen such an array of experienced staff that really knows their wine and cares about it. I really liked the food, it is amazing and delicious. I had the filet and it was cooked amazing with a perfect crisp on the outside and a tender red inside (medium rare). The bread is also delicious with the butter, I order it every time I go. I highly recommend this place!
(5)Cathy L.
Horrible experience!! We tried this restaurant a 2nd time to give it another chance but we were more disappointed with the entire experience than the first time we went. Overpriced. Jammed in like cattle. $18 burger which was served cold. $24 walleye filet fit in the palm of your hand. Rubbing elbows with complete strangers/other diners because the owner thinks packing them in like sardines is trendy. Wine list ok but overpriced as well. Serving portions were very small. Rude owner and wait staff. Restaurant is too small for the number of tables. Felt like a safety hazard.
(1)Sealu222 2.
I have been to the Woodbury location many times and keep waiting to Yelp about it until I can say something really nice....being a supporter of local businesses and all. But after my last experience I am giving up. I could overlook the hurried "I'm better than you are" service, the chewy Thai chicken flatbread and the heavily seasoned steak salad. I could even overlook and the fact we did not get the chance to order a second round of drinks....which would have helped wash down the cardboard pizza and salt salad. What I can not deal with, however, is that our server saw our DMC card sitting on the end of the table the WHOLE time and did not say one word about the flatbread and salad not qualifying as a "ENTREE" so the buy one get one card wouldn't work. She was so smug as we sputtered our apologies for asking why it hadn't been taken off the bill. Her only redeeming quality was she had cute hair. The restaurant is a nice place, and I think that if the owner or his daughter are working it is a much more pleasant experience at least from a service perspective. What worries me most for them is the food itself needs an overhaul if it is to draw all the Woodbury sheep away from their precious Olive Garden and Red Lobster.
(1)Brian C.
Cravings has nice ambiance, a friendly and knowledgeable wait staff, and the best Short Ribs in town. Pay no attention the the 1 star reviews. Not all Yelpers get how this is supposed to work. Try it. You'll love it!
(5)Denise B.
Like your gluten free options. My husband and I enjoyed the French dip on gf roll. Very good meal and service.
(4)Phillip Y.
We came to Cravings because we had a buy one get one free entrée up to $12 from Metro Dining Club. We found out that we had to get a drink but were pleasantly surprised by the selection. I got their own made ginger ale and my girlfriend had their blue lemonade drink. Then, we had our entrée which was the potato crusted walleye and she had the Italian sausage bow tie pasta. Both dishes were good and our waitress was good to refill our drinks. I was surprised that we were greeted so well even without a reservation. I would highly recommend it for special occasions. Pricewise is more upscale than most restaurants but the quality is very good.
(5)Alicia M.
Cravings is local to me and I keep trying to love it. I have gone there for lunch, dinner, happy hour, and a wine dinner. Sadly, I cannot recommend it. The drinks - wine and cocktails - are excellent. The food is only okay. The service is bad. I would not say not to go there - it is fine. But there are many better local options. I would recommend avoiding the wine dinners. They do not presently have the capacity or expertise to do them at even an acceptable level - at $150 per couple and a mandatory 18% gratuity, you can get much better dinners.
(2)Melissa K.
This is one of my favorite places to go grab a glass of wine at the bar. The place is adorable. Very cozy and quaint and I've always enjoyed chatting it up with the folks at the bar - very friendly and knowledgable. Get there early if you want to sit at the bar - it is very small (but that makes the experience even more personable). Unfortunately, I've found the food to be inconsistent. I ordered a salad a while back that was really overdressed and by adding ricotta on top of that the consistency tasted like mush (though, it looks like it is no longer on the menu so that's a good sign). I've ordered the Arctic Char twice. The first time was absolutely delicious and the second left something to be desired. It was quite bland to be honest. I've had good luck with the cheese trio, and always pairs nicely while trying new wines. Don't skip dessert. They change them up daily and I've never had a bad one. Their raspberry bread pudding is unreal.
(3)Vicky V.
My whole family came in for dinner tonight and the food just suck.. Everyone's food was either too salty too cooked or no favors..
(1)Kimberly P.
With a changing seasonal menu and daily specials, the food at Cravings is delicious! The staff is phenomenal! Owner Greg and daughter Alyssa entertain patrons with their fun banter with each other.
(5)Gary P.
Great wine selection but a limited menu. Bad acoustics made it a very noisy spot for not many people.
(3)Mike M.
How great is this place! Forget that the wine is perfect, the food is outstanding, the atmosphere is excellent, the service and friendliness of EVERYONE is unbelievable! We stopped in for a quick glass of wine on a Friday night and oh, what a great experience I was. Rick was as welcoming as any owner I have ever met. Each team member of his talked with us, joked with us and created an experience that left its positive mark. Our food was excellent, Seared Ahi Tuna off the charts! Although, the very best part of the evening, when leaving everyone thanked us for stopping and invited us back. Outside, Alyssa was loading her car for a weekend way, as we walked by, she stopped and said, " have a great weekend new friends". I have never been to a restaurant, including my own, that has come remotely close to doing something like that! Thank you Cravings!! You all just taught an old veteran how to be better. Nice job, you rock!!
(5)Katie B.
The wine list here is excellent. They have at least one bottle in the menu that I haven't seen outside the west coast... This place isn't cheap by any means, but it's a fun place to grab a nice bottle of wine with a friend and have a light meal (soups and salads are great). Plus their cakes are divine. If you are looking for cheap apps and 2-1 glasses of random house wine, this isn't your place. But it's worth stopping in if you're willing to drop a little cash--it's worth it on occasion.
(5)Ej F.
On the way to Wisconsin from MSP about a week ago, my co-worker and I wanted to get some dinner. We originally went to the sushi place near here but it doesn't take American Express (my corporate credit card). So walked around this strip mall in the cold and stumbled upon Cravings. What a find in Woodbury! Pleasantly surprised by the options on the menu and the quality of food here... made me feel like I was still in L.A. Not a big restaurant so it provides a nice, intimate feel. There's a small bar area, fireplace, and nice decor. Decent place for a dinner date. Unlike some of the reviews, I had good experience with service and the wait staff. We ordered the scallops and charcuterie board for appetizers. There were 3 scallops (kinda small) but they were cooked perfectly and it went well with the roasted cauliflower and puree. The cured meats on the carcuterie were sliced a bit thicker than I like, but the pickles and whole grain mustard were a nice addition. For my main course: the crispy duck with parsnip puree, roasted brussel sprouts, and cherry glaze. One of the best duck dishes I ever ate... I enjoyed every bite. My friend had the walleye and it looked really good; he was a happy diner. So full we both passed on any dessert.
(4)Guy C.
Nice little place with excellent food. Filet Mignon was fantastic. Locally owned by a father and daughter and it's been around for a while. Pretty extensive wine list with great recommendations.
(4)Susan G.
Yum! Delicious meal from the beet salad on special to the salted Carmel chocolate cake. I had the short ribs that were melt in your mouth delicious and my husband had the walleye that he raved about!
(4)Daniel U.
My wife and I received a gift certificate for Cravings but we felt some trepidation because of the highly mixed reviews. Four tables were occupied inside and a couple more on the patio. There was only one waitress, which we spotted as one of the areas of complaint from other reviews. It wasn't a problem on our visit. We were promptly seated, our orders were taken without delay and the food arrived quickly. I had the walleye sandwich and loved it. My wife enjoyed her meal but I can't remember what she had. There is one other point that made our visit a pleasure. My wife and I are a racially mixed couple. We have gotten to the point where we expect the hostess to try to stash us in the back of the restaurant, next to the kitchen door or by the bathrooms. Just on account of taking us straight to a window table with a nice view we will return again.
(4)Dave O.
We tried Cravings for the first time Wednesday. We were meeting another couple and we didn't all arrive at the same time, but we were greeted and sat quickly and in friendly manner. Our server was pleasant and not pushy even though we ended up having a long dinner. The drink and wine menu were superb with lots of martinis and wines to choose from. Dinner was good but the pasta with sausage was a little bland but not offensive in any way. The bread and ceasar salad were great. They had a large assortment if fresh desserts but unfortunately we didn't leave room! Would definitely return next time I am in Woodbury.
(4)Emily V.
I would probably give the place a 3.5, but a 4 seemed to high. Tried this place for the first time recently. Went with someone else to loves this place, probably partially because it is close to her house and also because her husband is a big wine lover. Their wine list is extensive, for sure. I ordered the White Chicken Lasagna. While it was good, I did not think the balsamic reduction that was added to the 'bed' of marinara it was served on did much to help the dish. It actually made it a little too sweet for my taste. I did ask if it was made in house, because some of the comments on here seemed to imply (or outright state) otherwise, and in truth, it's made in their other White Bear location and brought over. So I really wouldn't say that that is a problem for me, I guess. It's still from scratch and brought over fresh daily, they said. Seems appropriate. Anyways...it was good, but I probably would try something else next time. I also had a ceasar salad on the side, which was good, but nothing that I'll remember as being any different from the other ceasar salads I've had in my life. My 'date' had the sausage flatbread. It was OK, but holy garlic! She actually loves garlic (being Italian), but said it was even overpowering for her. She didn't want the second half of it and asked me if I wanted it. I took it home, put it in a snap-closed container right when I got home, and my entire second floor STILL smelled like garlic the the next morning when I was getting ready for work. THAT is a lot of garlic. Just sayin'. I also ordered an almond bar and a piece of the salted caramel chocolate cake to go. The salt flavor was VERY prominent in the cake, and the chocolate flavor was not. Maybe have been over powered by the salt and the caramel? The almond bar was awesome, but I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been wrapped in paper so tight that it pulled off all of the frosting before I got home. The food was good, but over all nothing to hurry back for. The service was good, if a little...frantic? Our waitress was friendly and attentive, but seemed like she maybe had too many tables assigned or something. She did get some help by another woman who was a little less than friendly (she was the one who brought out our entrees, offered cracked pepper, and brought our to-go boxes). The happy hour special of $4 wine pours was a nice touch, however, the pours did seem a bit smaller than I was used to. It was worth $4, but if I were charged $8 for that pour of that particular wine I ordered, I would have been pretty unhappy about it. All in all, I'll probably go back. I think maybe for lunch next time I'm over in that area. It was small and a little noisy, so maybe a nice place for date night with the husband wouldn't be what I would return for.
(3)Zach I.
Do not go here. The server was nice, but likely overworked--we frequently went tens of minutes without a check in. Drinks went unfilled and dishes went uncleared. The food was cooked improperly. My steak and cheese salad had trace amounts of cheese. The cheese plate was missing an entire type of cheese, and the portion of what we got was laughable (literally two 2x2" pieces). To top it off, the prices are way too high. Avoid.
(2)Matt M.
My experiences at Cravings have been pretty average... But there are some things I like. Although their food is only okay their desserts are REALLY good. Chocolate cake with salted caramel and buttercream frosting was delicious- moist cake, the caramel flavor wasn't overpowering, and it was sized generously for the price. The carrot cake was also super moist, filled with raisins and walnuts and carrots (oh my) and the frosting was delicious. The service here is hit or miss. I've had really good service, but this last time the server was a little strange, but also super helpful. We were feeling champagne after seeing The Great Gatsby (if you've seen the party scenes you will feel the same) and she instantly recommended the prosecco for the cakes we had ordered. I know next to nothing about wine, but it did pair nicely. They have a decent patio... But unfortunately it is overlooking a construction site. Beautiful and scenic Woodbury. Skip the meal, head here later in the night for a quick dessert and glass of wine.
(3)tori b.
I ordered the ribeye & my husband ordered the fish special. Both were delicious! My ribeye was cooked perfectly & his fish was flakey & not dry We finished off our meal with a dessert each u ordered the raspberry chocolate gluten free cake with a cup of decaf. He ordered the hot fudge cheesecake slice. But were equally good, but, the cup of coffee was bigger than most bowls of soup I've had! It had great flavor, too I would recommend this place as a great date night, or even a fun girls night out
(4)Steve A.
My wife and I had a really nice meal here on Friday night. The first nice thing was that we could make a reservation since we couldn't make it there until about 6:30 PM. We got seated right away which is really nice at this time on a Friday night. This was our third time dining at Cravings and I've always been impressed with the extremely friendly and helpful wait staff. Our waitress was wonderful! We always seem to need a little extra service because my wife is gluten free and there's usually plenty of questions during the ordering process. Our waitress patiently answered all our questions and offered great suggestions on food options. I had the chicken lasagna which was delicious. It really was one of the best lasagnas I've had in a long time. My wife had the GF version of the oxtail pasta. She said the meat was also delicious and she always enjoys finding GF pasta. We both really enjoyed our meals! Cravings is a fairly small/intimate restaurant so seating is limited. There's also a bar but seating is pretty limited there as well. I recommend making a reservation for weekend dining. Tip: ask them to NOT seat you in the small room just to the left of the entrance door. We sat there once and it was cold (winter time) and it felt like we were in a different restaurant. Almost like sitting at the kids table at the Holiday dinners! Not sure why they even use this space... They also have a patio which I'm sure would be nice in the summer and expand their dining area. Cravings is a wine bar and they did have a nice wine list. I generally have a beer and they did have a nice selection including craft and imported beers. However, it was all bottled beer with no tap beer available. My wife is not into beer, wine or rail drinks. She like what she calls the fancy "drinky drinks". They have a nice list of these as well which she enjoys. :-)
(4)Justin R.
Great service, love the atmosphere. Here is why three stars. They have a somewhat small restaurant and they try awfully hard to be a foodie haven. They simply don't have a kitchen skillset that can put out that type of experience, and portions to price just aren't realistic. I have had okay food almost every time, I had a ravioli dish that just had the most odd cheese pairing and they stated that the have a small kitchen "recycle" the cheese from a previous night's special. I wouldn't tell a customer that.
(3)Numbers D.
Service is always friendly albeit a bit slow. I think it is a bit overpriced in my opinion. I have not been disappointed in the flavor of their food, however. The white chicken lasagna is good as well as the duck.
(3)Christophe V.
The service was kind of slow but not crazy bad but getting on the borderline of being bad. The food was blend, not well seasoned. Had the duck confit pasta and the duck was not very good, some part were dried (feels more like over baked duck legs rather then duck confit). The smoke salmon rillette was not very enjoyable, it was"sticky" and not very refreshing. For the morning you are spending there, I think that the food should be on a higher level.
(3)P V.
Great service, lots of servers. Really good food, my boyfriend and I had walleye & porkchop--both very flavorful. Pomengranite martini--delightful! Excellent scallop appetizer. Good desserts, a little pricey, but worth the wonderful evening. Only thing that wasn't great is the wait for the food, very slow. It would have been nice to have some bread to munch on while waiting. Will definitely return.
(4)Alec G.
Full disclosure; I didn't try the entrees, only the wine and dessert. Don't call yourself a wine bar when you only have 1, or at most 2 selections of a hand full of varietals, and those selections are coming from $10-$15 bottles. This is especially unforgivable when they are located 2 storefronts down from a wine market with a very nice little selection. On top of that, my pinot tasted like it had been sitting open for 3 days. Service was also rotten. I get the feeling that as soon as the server figured out we weren't going to drop the bucks for a full dinner for 4 people, we went right to the bottom of his priority list. We ran out of water very quickly, and basically got refills as we were ready to leave. Skip this place if you are going out for wine. If you are going for dinner, check the other reviews.
(1)Ed N.
Went there tonight for a Valentine's day dinner. It was recommended to me by a friend who raved about the White Chicken Lasagna. We had 7PM reservations and were seated promptly, that was probably the best part of the dinner was no waiting. It was pretty busy in the restaurant but nothing that didn't seem manageable. We had placed our order with the waitress within 5 mins of sittiing, appetizers and the main course. 30 minutes later the waitress came back and informed us they were out of the Chicken Wild Rice Soup (MN staple right?) No apology just we're out... So now we are approximately 35 minutes into the dining experience. 45 minutes later we are getting our appetizers, the waitress did not stop by and say that things are a little slow in the kitchen or even apologize. Another 20 minutes later we are finally getting our main course, so now we are closing in on the two hour mark. At this point the food could be amazing but it doesn't cover up the horrible service. Not once did the waitress check in and ask how things are going, we were afraid to ask for anything like fresh ground pepper or even dessert thinking it could turn into a 3 hour affair. We spoke to someone after to provide feedback and they seemed receptive to it all. She asked us to give them another chance and that we are seeing it at it's worst. I would like to give it another chance but quite honestly I don't know if it is worth the time let alone the money. I would not recommend this to anyone, the service was poor and the food average. Dine at your own risk.
(1)Bethany S.
I was so surprised at the negative reviews I read on Yelp regarding one of the nicer restaurants in Woodbury. We have had nothing but wonderful food, wine and service @ Cravings in Woodbury. In fact, it is now one of our "go-to" places for consistent great tasting food and wine! Whether we plan ahead and request the patio or window seat, or sit @ the bar, we have never been unhappy when we walk out the door! Their specials are the best (I think) and their salads are very good too. The walleye is always done to perfection, and my husband likes their pork dishes. Again, I hope that the negative reviews do not hold you back, because we have always been very pleased with everything at Cravings!
(5)Marie H.
EXTREMELY mediocre. Appetizers were amazing. Everything else, very dissapointng. Mixed drinks were a half glass, main courses average, coffe was great, dessert tasted like mold. Don't do it.
(2)Beth F.
Incredible. Surprising. I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you! Woodbury, MN is THE.LAST.PLACE .ON.EARTH I'd have expected to find food of this caliber. As a rule, the restaurants in this 'burb suck misshapen ballz. They all buy the same food from the same el-cheapo bulk food provider (Sysco, which is basically Wal-Mart for restaurants) and they skimp. They skimp so bad it makes me want to cry when I let myself think about what it costs. And it's for this reason that when we *do* end up eating out near home (as opposed to driving into M or SP), we typically find ourselves at one of the "upscale fast food" joints like Noodles & Co or Chipotle because, hey, at least its cheap and we don't feel swindled. Even still, I've been curious to try this restaurant ever since it opened. After repeatedly being disappointed by the culinary disasters of this unfortunate 'burb I just couldn't help myself. Glutton for punishment? Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. Based on Jennifer L's recommendation, hubby and I both ordered burgers. He went for the Angus Burger with the gorgonzola cheese and caramelized onions and I opted for the more simplistic Classic Burger with cheddar. Aaaand...in one word. FABULOUS. So what's up with the 3 stars, you're asking yourself? Service. We totally drew the short end of the stick last night. Outwardly he was friendly and professional but unfortunately did not deliver. 1) Mixed up our orders. Hubby got my mixed green salad on his plate and I got his Caesar on mine. 2) The Caesar salad was DROWNING in dressing. This was actually the one food preparation flaw we noticed. 3) He never offered to refill wine. 4) We sat FOREVER with empty plates and empty drink glasses and the server was nowhere to be seen. 5) Another waiter noticed us waiting and offered to box up the leftovers. 6) One of the other servers noticed us sitting with empties so he refilled our water glasses. None of these things will keep me away. And I have every intent to come back and update my star-rating because I just *know* they have it in them. One final note: wine prices are STEEP. My favorite affordable at-home wine to drink is around $10-$13 a bottle at the liquor store/wine shop. They were charging $10/glass at this restaurant. So I'm making the assumption that to make up for the additional cost of buying fresh ingredients and being organic/environmentally conscious they overcharge on wine to make up for it. But honestly? I think I'm okay with that. If they were overcharging and the food was obviously cheap and tasted bad *coughs in the general direction of Sunsets Woodbury* I'd boycott. I see absolutely no reason not to come back and back and back and back again to this spot. Definitely worthy of 4.5 stars.
(3)Tom J.
My wife and I were searching for an owner operated restaurant amongst the sea of chain restaurants in Woodbury when yelp came to the rescue. We made it before the dinner rush and we were seated right away. As this is a wine bar, we explained to the server what our preferences were and she obliged us with a wonderful Sangiovese. Our server was very friendly and after some prodding we learned she was the owners daughter. She explained the difficulty in meeting the Burbs expectations for consistancy and expediency when they make all their food to order. The food was good and the service was outstanding.
(4)Johnee B.
First time in. Got take out. Portabella Avocado white cheese toasted sandwich. Really good. Service friendly. GREAT Atmosphere, nice lighting. Good wine selection too (somewhat of an expert) Will go again for dinner. Stay tuned...
(3)Jeff C.
I went to Cravings for lunch yesterday, and I had one of their new specials, a Lobster Raviolo. I learned that Raviolo is singular for Ravioli, an indication that you get a single stuffed noodle. Not to worry - this was a BIG stuffed noodle, with LOADS of rich, succulent lobster claw and tail meat, Gruyere cheese, and various other goodies. The noodle is served in an incredible, house-made lobster bisque drizzled with oregano oil. The presentation is very nice, but what seals the deal is the incredible melange of flavors. This is truly one of the best dishes I have supped on in a long time. One tip: if you order this dish, order a bread basket on the side so that you can soak up all of that lovely lobster bisque. Kudos to Cravings for a lunch very well done!
(5)Barb S.
My husband and I took a 40 minute drive on December 31st to try this restaurant for a late lunch. Prior to leaving, I reviewed their website to see if they were open for lunch and no indication that they would not be. Most restaurants keep their websites up to date for special occasions/holidays so I didn't call beforehand. Once we arrived, I was told by the hostess that they are not serving food (however, there were diners in the restaurant and the door was open) and her manager just advised her "2 seconds ago" that they couldn't serve anyone. Since it was only seconds prior, I asked if they could consider us since it was just us two and we were not from the area. She called out to the manager, who rudely said - no, we have too much to get ready for the evening and said "no way". I couldn't believe how rude he was considering we were dressed nicely and could have settled on a limited menu that was easy to prepare. I would never patronize a restaurant (this one or any other of their locations) that treated new customers like they shouldn't have even opened the door to step in. Never have I been treated so rudely by a fine dining restaurant and will definitely never recommend this one.
(1)Sue S.
We, like another reviewer, had first stopped at the Tavern, but they were swamped. We had never eaten at Cravings Wine Bar & Grille, but gave it a shot anyway. They were busy, but there wasn't any waiting. The staff was friendly and attentive. We ordered the sausage pizza and drinks. The pizza was great! We live no where near here, but we'd definitely be back. There were many more items on the menu that looked very appealing and would like to try.
(4)Phyllis L.
We had dinner at Crave Wine Bar on a Tuesday evening. We thought everything was very delicious. I had the seared salmon with brussels sprout and butternut squash. It was done perfectly. My husband had the crab cake appetizer and really enjoyed it as well. The cocktails are a bit on the expensive side but top quality brands. The wine choices are very good.They make all their own desserts and they are "to die for ". Our service was also exceptional. My only con would be it is a small place and sometime quite noisy as the tables are close together.
(4)Cortney G.
I've been wanting to check out Cravings ever since I drove past one day - it just looked so chic and cozy from the outside. After multiple attempts to stop in for vino and conversation with my man, they were FINALLY actually open this past Saturday night. We walked into many open tables, but for some reason got seated in a side room reminiscent of the Davanni's kiddie birthday party room. No ambiance, no music and away from the rest of the entire restaurant. Left such a bad taste in my mouth that I couldn't even stay for a glass of wine.
(1)Matt D.
My wife and I stopped in on a Friday night at 5:50 (trust me, it's important). We did not have a reservation but were lucky to be seated at the bar. No one checked on us for 10 minutes or so. When one of the bartenders finally asked if we had been helped we asked about happy hour. She replied that happy hour was from 3 to 6 and that their outrageously priced wine was actually only $4 a glass (house wine) during happy hour. My wife said that we had been there for 10 minutes but no one had helped us and was met with deafening silence. Then the bartender walked away without taking a drink order. Finally, another 5 minutes later the other bartender asked if we wanted anything to drink. Since their least expensive wine was priced the same per glass as we pay per bottle we decided on water only. We ordered two appetizers, a scallop dish and a flatbread pizza. The scallop dish came with three of the smallest scallops I've ever seen for $13. It tasted okay at best. The margherita pizza was worse, so heavy on the garlic that it was hard to eat. The one redeeming thing that happened was that we noticed a nice display case of desserts right when you walk in. We got a take-home piece of salted caramel chocolate cake. In the comfort of our own home, drinking our reasonably priced wine the cake was fantastic. Cravings earned their one star with a good dessert. Considering the service was lousy and the prices are sky high I guess that's something.
(1)Emily O.
My 2 girlfriends & I visited Cravings on a Tuesday evening around 6pm after a long day at work. We were greeted promptly & decided to have some apps while venting about work :) The ambiance was perfect for a ladies' night out. Classy, comfortable, & small. The service we received was perfect, not too slow & not too fast. Made for a relaxing evening; just what we needed. We tried the Margherita flatbread, the Chicken flatbread, & the house salad. The Margherita flatbread is amazing: tomatoes, Parmesan, & crispy flatbread makes for the perfect combo. The Chicken flatbread had black beans & corn & was also wonderful. The salad was fresh & dressed to perfection. We didn't try the wine, but the food & service were both great. We will definetly visit again to check out the enticing wine list :)
(4)Pueblo Y.
If you're into wines then This spot is great. Other than that you get sub-par customer treatment and mediocre food quality. The best thing I believe to be on their menu are the desserts. Turtle cake was good.
(3)Erin G.
Cravings is a great place for gluten free options! There is a Tomato Gorgonzola soup that is sometimes served that is delicious! I normally do not like tomato soup and it is great! Because I need to eat gluten free I do especially enjoy the treat of their gluten free flatbreads (Smoked Potato was great!) and burgers (love the Gorgonzola burger). On their current menu I also really enjoyed the White Wine Steamed Mussels.
(5)aaron a.
The last 12 times I have been here, the food has been outstanding. Things have really changed, the chefs here are really producing fantastic, high quality dishes. I'm not sure why this place has been dinged so hard. It is not deserved. As a regular here once a week as well as several wine dinners, this restaurant has become a true favorite along with Meritage and I Nonni. It's not quite the same level as they are, but darn close lately. Let's start with the Pan Seared Barramundi. Crisp skin, wonderful texture to the fish, seasoned perfectly over leaks, white bean puree, tomato and bacon. It's far better than you can imagine. Every day has a special and I was blown away by the pork and hominy soup. Who would have thought a soup like this was going to be my favorite dish all week? Excellent. And their house made fresh pasta? How many places are you going to that are serving out of a bag? This place doesn't. They take the time to make some fantastic pasta every day. Get the salmon if it's on the menu. And even though I never order the burger, my wife does, and I've tasted it. It's a high quality beef seasoned perfectly and cooked to order. It's delicious. I can't get past the perfect fish and pasta to order beef, so that is my loss. Though it isn't really, I'm so happy every time I can't wait to come back! In summary, this place has a new start with an amazing kitchen. And that's not all, the staff is excellent. I've even noticed things have improved 100% in the speed of delivery, which seemed to be a common issue people had in the past. I haven't seen that in months. So I've upped my rating 1 star from 3 to 4. It's a favorite.
(4)Greg S.
Good service. Good food. We enjoyed ourselves. Gluten-free menu was the most comprehensive I have ever seen.
(4)Tammy D.
Great Woodbury restaurant. Food is consistently amazing each time I visit. The staff and service are wonderful. As noted in other reviews, save room f
(5)Kevin B.
Stopped in here on a whim on the way home, having Yelp'd for something along our route. Didn't really get a look at the menu for food, but the wine menu was decent enough with a nice selection. Only giving a 4 here, but we'll chalk that up to 'need more information'. Perhaps after a meal here, I can revisit. As a pure stop-off for wine, it fit the bill nicely.
(4)Erin D.
This place is okay for a wine bar in a shopping center in the suburbs. The interior is very small. Last time I went I got a salad, which was good and quite large/filling. The first time I went I got an entree, and I thought the portion size was small for the price. The wine list is extensive. I would go back for dinner if someone else suggested it, but it wouldn't be my first choice.
(3)Jennifer L.
We met some good friends here last night for dinner. Having only been here during a weekday afternoon for lunch I wasn't prepared for Cravings on a Friday night. When we asked for a table for 4 we were asked if we had reservations. Really? It never occurred to me that we would have to make reservations here. We got lucky that there was a cancellation and were able to snag that table. The waiter billed it as "The best table in the house!" So apparently the best table in the house has two people wedged against the glass of the entryway and two people sitting in the aisle of the entryway. Hu. I told my hubby later that if we hadn't been meeting friends here I would have told them no thanks and left at this point. The wine is expensive here. I had a glass of Pinot (They only had one option on the menu for a Pinot Grigio) that I thought it was a little acidic in flavor - and the amount in my glass is about the equivalent of three shot glasses. So for $8.00 you can have three shots of wine with your dinner. (I know - I am classic in saying it wasn't good and there wasn't enough!) We shared an appetizer of Brie. I thought the cheese was a little delicate in flavor but they had a lovely cranberry sauce with orange peal shavings on it that really made it spectacular. Sadly it took a long time to actually get the brie. To our waiters credit - he did come out and apologize about the wait. (Did they forget we ordered the brie? Why would it take so long to get a hunk of warm cheese with crackers?) The last time we came here my hubby had The Classic Burger - so that is exactly what I ordered this time. The bite I had of his last time was so good how could I resist? I ordered the classic with cheddar prepared Medium. What I got was a dry burger on a dry bun cooked Medium well/well. There was barely a hint of pinkness in the middle of the burger. (I had to hold the burger up to the light to see if I could find any pink shading - and their was a hint of pinkness in the brown/gray meat.) And the bun was burnt on the inside to the point I was peeling chunks of the bun away so I didn't get the carcinogen flavor in my burger. It was not a good burger. And it was $11.00 for this not good burger. The other thing was that we asked for separate bills and our waiter forgot and put them all together. It wasn't a huge deal - we just split it down the center and that worked out fine - but it would have been nice if he had remembered. And if he would have remembered about it before he saw two credit cards in the bill folder. I have to say I am really disappointed in my experience here this time. I was really looking forward to dinner here and getting what I thought would be one of the best burgers in a long time. Sadly what we got was mediocre burgers and overpriced wine with a lot of waiting and an uncomfortable table. Honestly I don't know if I will go back after last nights experience. That kills me because it was a 5 star experience for us last time we came here. It was just too expensive for that poor of an experience this time to justify giving them another shot.
(2)Suze S.
Generally, I ABHOR places that sell wine by the 1/2 glass... I mean, really? Wine prices are generally already fairly outrageous... But I digress. This was just my way of saying that I usually try to avoid places that try way too hard to be elite. I was pleasantly surprised by the food and the atmosphere. The service was adequate. It was crowded, for a Tuesday evening in Woodbury anyways. We were seated right away. Since The Man is cheap and I had popped a Vicodin for some killer back pain, we stuck with water. The wine list was extensive, they had a great bar selection and some really scrummy sounding house cocktails. Prices were on the high side- and as mentioned, they offered 1/2 glass prices in addition to full glass and bottle prices. (and we all know that a full glass at a restaurant is about half of what we'd pour ourselves at home anyhow...) We ordered a Trio appetizer, flat bread with olive tapenade, tomato jelly, and Boursin cheese. De-freaking- licious and I'm not usually a flatbread kind of gal. It was soft and chewy and warm. The olive business was ok, the Boursin was good and the jelly was really tasty. The Man, who usually hides under the table when confronted with any type of vegetable actually had 2 pieces! The Man ordered the Chicken a la Mattone. I ordered the chef's selection of Maple Glazed Pork Belly. Chatty Cathy ordered the cream of cauliflower soup and a field greens salad. She's apparently been talking to her trainer at Curves again. The Man's Chicken was really good- tender, flavorful, nice sear on the outside. The sauce and veggies were good, and the basmati rice was good. The whole thing was just good- nothing really outstanding, but that's what he deserves for ordering chicken and rice at a restaurant. Chatty Cathy said her soup was good. Her salad looked good, and it was really large. I didn't taste any of it. I was too busy pigging out on pork. That Pork was the best damn thing I've eaten in weeks. Tender but enough texture to chew. Flavorful, but not tasting like a Jimmy Dean Sausage. (Which has mostly been my experience with other, less fortunate little pork bellies.) The Maple was plenty sweet, but tempered nicely with the Jalepeno Polenta, which was not at all spicy, but served as a good way to soak up all the sweetness in my mouth after every few bites of pork. Carrot cake for desert, since my life's motto is "Never Say No to Dessert." I was actually salivating over the Turtle Cake...but Chatty insisted that the Carrot Cake was actually healthy and counted as a serving of vegetables. BS, but whatever. It was just so-so for me. I love the flavor of carrot cake, but I hate when people mess with the texture by putting in all sorts of crap that doesn't belong in cake batter- like nuts, raisins, coconut. And this piece had all 3. Damn. The flavor was excellent though and the cream cheese frosting was super thick and really smooth. The restaurant itself was a bit too dark for my tastes, but I like to see what I'm eating. The noise level was acceptable, the heat level was not though. Both Chatty and I were wearing our jackets by the end of the meal. The service was slow to the point of being borderline ridiculous. She was great about filling our water glasses, which, to be fair, we were emptying at a pace more commonly seen in male cousins at a wedding with an open bar. Our entrees took way over 40 minutes to get out to us after she took the order. Thank heavens we had ordered the appetizer! Price for appetizer, 2 cups of soup, 1 salad, chicken, pork and a piece of carrot cake was just under $60. I shudder to think of what it might have been if I had given in and ordered a couple of those cocktails. Will I go again? Maybe for lunch, when the prices are a little better, and hopefully the service is a little quicker. Maybe I'd take my mom there- It's the kind of place that seems more impressive than it really is- and she's the kind of person who really likes places like that. I would definitely go just to meet a friend for some coffee and dessert. I probably wouldn't go just by myself and The Man again.
(3)Matt R.
This review is for the 'wine bar' aspect of Cravings. My wife and I used to frequent a cozy little wine bar in Colorado before moving here, and were looking to recreate the experience -- warm and friendly atmosphere, quiet buzz of customers, and of course, good wine and appetizers. Cravings managed to meet us half way. The service was good even though we came 1/2 hour before closing. The wine they suggested was perfect for us. The appetizer we got was quite tasty (margherita flatbread). The cost, while high for anywhere else, was in line with what we've paid elsewhere. The place was empty (perhaps because it was 8:30 on a Sunday?), and it had the distinct feel of a family-diner-turned-wine-bar with the dessert display cabinet right when you walk in. It wasn't cozy so much as it looked cozy... kind of like being in a park in summer vs looking at a picture of a park in summer. Overall, I'd guessing there is better out there, but this place isn't bad.
(3)Bonnie H.
My husband and I stopped here after Yoga in a desperate search to find an non-chain restaurant in Woodbury. We risked the 'poor' reviews in favor of supporting our local business owners. This was a WIN! Our server recommended a bottle of Sangiovese which was truly wonderful. We noshed on some apps, which were all good - the salad was exceptionally large and tasty! The service was pleasant and attentive (actually she was fabulous). We weren't going to have dessert but got tempted into the Turtle Cake (I'm a big fan of Cafe Latte's...) and wow! was it yummy! Moist, chocolately, carmel goodness. All of the food is made from scratch - pastas, burgers, desserts... no Sysco here. I highly recommend checking it out, you're in for a treat from the concrete jungle that is Woodbury.
(4)Mary S.
We had bought a LivingSocial deal which was for 50 dollars toward food/drink. We figure we've never been here before and it would be a good date night experience. We absolutely loved it. It's small so make sure you make reservations. We had the Amalaya wine which was a Red Blend and I had the meatloaf, my husband the Rib Eye. The meatloaf was fabulous. The cranberry sauce glaze that came on top was delicious and was a great complement to the meal. The Rib eye was also perfectly cooked as we like our Medium Rare and the wine went very well with it. The atmosphere is warm and sweet such that although a small place, we never felt cramped and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. We will definitely return to this place again!
(5)Alison T.
I have been back to Cravings several times for their sinful desserts. The creamy Almond Bars are to die for. Other faves include the carrot cake and chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Can't wait to try the Malted Milk Ball cheesecake! Cravings desserts are prepared fresh daily and are reasonably priced. If you're looking for a place to satisfy your sweet tooth, look no further.
(4)Pat W.
If you love a dose of snobbishness with your food, this is the place for you. My husband and I wanted to eat very early, before 4. We walked into an almost empty restaurant, where we were told they couldn't seat us in the back in the good seats because they were expecting people at 6:30. We assured them we could eat a meal in less than 2 1/2 hours and they went into a tizzy, throwing menus around, feeling very put out about accommodating us. I ordered a lamb burger and my husband a hamburger, which took 30 minutes to prepare. Waitress did not ask how we wanted them cooked and offered no salad dressing choices. After we received our food, she did not come back to inquire how things were, did not bring my husband his requested ketchup, and he found a bug in his salad. I pointed this out to the manager. He apologized and said these things happen. He did offer to replace the salad. My lamb burger was tasty, but overcooked and dried out, as they 'have' to cook it to medium well, the only place I have eaten lamb that ever said that. To their credit they offered a free dessert in exchange for the bug. Food was OK, but not good enough to warrant going back not for us anyway.
(2)J B.
This is a tough one. I want to start by saying that the food at this place is simply amazing. Everything I have ever had there is just wonderful. Their duck dishes are my favorite. Their scallops are like butter. And the martinis are delicious, especially the chocolate ones! Now the bad. They do give you a disclaimer that since each dish is made to order it may take a while, especially if they are busy. However, things that take no prep time were taking 10-15 minutes to arrive. Each drink order took 10 minutes to get to us (we had a party of 7), and one time they completely forgot my glass of wine. They brought out a bottle of champagne but nothing to keep it cold. However, the table next to us got a champagne bucket. We were also seated in this really strange and segregated room off to the left of the pastry case, and it felt like we were sitting in a coat room. Also, we had to buy bread for the table. The bread costs $3 per basket and you get... 3 slices of bread per basket. $1 per slice? Really? I think this might be better if they were in a larger space and had more staff. Also, if their staff would smile and act friendly, that would help as well. Not everyone is like that there, but the majority of the staff would look at me while I spoke, and then turn around and walk away and I had no idea if I was actually heard or not. And the no-smiling thing is a real turn-off. This place could be so much more inviting to more people. Maybe they are striving for the small and exclusive vibe?
(2)R P.
Nice location in a upscale shopping mall. The decor inside is very nice and looks like a wine bar (compared to the few I've checked out) Was seated right away and the staff was very attentive. Tried a sampler with the little lamb chops - have to say they were REAL good! The wine list by the glass was kind small for the reds. Not a lot of California wines like I'm used to seeing. Overall pleasant experience and if I'm in the area I wouldn't hesitate to try it again.
(3)Rob S.
Stopped in for a few apps before a movie last night. Had their spreads trio (Boursin cheese, olive tapenade and a red pepper spread) with toasted pita, the crab cakes and a cup of wild rice soup. The best thing I had was the three spreads - especially liked the Boursin and the red pepper. The crab cake was excellent but after a few pieces was enough. My wife had the salad with the steak (which she said was awesome but a little too much blue cheese (or Gorgonzola whatever they used... very good but too much). All in all a fantastic night.
(4)Kate A.
I have been here 3 times and walked away one happy full camper each time. Amazing sweets and wine. They have upgraded to Hereford beef and the filet on the last visit was up there with one if the best I have had. A must visit location
(4)Dima M.
I went there for lunch with coworkers who had been here before, and knowing they are picky, I trusted that it was going to be good. Truth be told, it was not bad. It was a nice change from my usual lunch spots around here. The only problem I have is that it was a really really long lunch, a little over 1.5 hours. It could have easily been a one-hour lunch. But I get it, this is a "fancy" place, so the way to display that is by taking a long time to do things that can be done a lot faster. It wasn't even that busy, and we ordered the sausage platter as an appetizer. It took a good 10 or 15 minutes to get that. It was 3 sausages, cut up into little pieces. Unless they made the sausage when we ordered it, it should have not taken more than 5 minutes. Then the food took a little bit longer, and the most complicated thing we ordered was probably a burger. I just felt that this place was trying a little too hard to be pretentious, though the prices don't say so, which is good. Also, I will have to say that the food was actually good, so I may actually go there again.
(3)Ben K.
There have been major improvements here since the first time I was in a number of months ago. There truly aren't a whole lot of decent places to eat in the area, and being in the area on business, Cravings has become a regular stop. As such, the improvements in the menu and the service in the last six months are quite welcome. The menu is a little strange as there is no real clear theme - is it Italian? Is it American? Is it casual? I don't know. There his a hodge podge of pastas, flatbreads, sandwiches and entrees. On one hand, this is confusing - and always a red flag when a restaurant can't decide what it is and what it is good at. All this being said, the variety tends to please a diverse group. While I haven't tried it, everyone who does really likes the white lasagna, which is a house specialty. The wine list has a good range in both price and style. There is nothing that stands out as a great value or particularly unique on the wine list - it is a bit over priced for many/most of the selections, but not to the point of rip off. Compared to everything else I have found in a 10 mile radius, this is about the best for a nice-ish meal, and possibly the only place within 10 miles that doesn't have TVs on the wall, which is what makes it nice-ish.
(2)Dan E.
Stopped in for a glass of wine at 3:00 in the afternoon. We were very disappointed that the staff was so un-welcoming. We were seated at a very uncomfortable cocktail table while the rest of the restaurant was almost empty. When asked if we could be seated at a regular table, the answer was "NO, THE TABLES ARE FOR DINNER AT 6:00." We cannot recommend this place.
(1)Jennifer K.
My husband took me here on a surprise date-night...we had a good time. His friend Jim's band was playing, so that was a nice surprise. I guess if I could give it two and a half stars I would, but I'll just bump it up to three. We didn't order food-but got a bottle of Riesling, and ordered the baked brie with an "onion marmalade". Kind of sweet. Wasn't my favorite-but my husband ate it without complaining. Music was good-had a nice buzz-pretty nice evening. Wierd thing was-no napkins. And the brie thing was kind of sticky. It was my birthday, so they brought me a piece of turtle cake. That was really good. The carrot cake looked amazing when we came in, but I guess beggars can't be choosers...The coffee was very good too.I wouldn't go back unless we knew someone playing there I guess...
(3)Harry W.
There aren't many choices around the area. After eating here, there are now even fewer. Over-priced and under-delivered. I ordered a tuna steak, rare. When the dish came out, it looked like a microwave dinner on an over-sized plate. The price? 24$, not including the wine. I had a tuna steak burger across the street for 8.99$ and preferred the tuna burger. If you go, go for the wine. Otherwise, go next door to the wine store, treat yourself to a full bottle and buy a real microwave dinner for the same price.
(1)Nathan L.
This was surprisingly good for Woodbury like some of the other reviews mentioned. After reading the other reviews I was looking forward to coming here and seeing what it was all about. The one thing I was particularly looking for was the service since there were a couple reviews saying it wasn't all that good. We had Alyssa and she was very helpful and very nice in helping us pick entrees, wine and desert. I had the angus burger and it seemed a little dry but I did like the faccocia that it came on. I also really liked the gorgonzola cheese they put on it so overall it was a good burger just a little dry. So I would go back but I would only go if it was on a half priced bottle night because there is something about being in Woodbury that tells me I don't have to spend that kind of money on a bottle of wine in a cafe.
(4)R M.
horrendous food and horrendous service! we were the ONLY people in the restaurant and service was still slow! crab cakes were burned - when we told the server, she simply replied "Oh" and then left our table. maybe could have offered to remake it or try something else? french dip meat was tough and the au jus was pure salt. we like to try different restaurants using the living social coupons - this restaurant was not even worth the paper it was printed on!
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